APSC Scam: Special court frames charges against 67

GUWAHATI: A special court here Tuesday framed charges against 67 accused persons, including former Assam Public Service Commission (APSC) chairman Rakesh Kumar Paul in the 'cash for job' scam in APSC. Of the accused 60 are candidates who had appeared in the APSC exam and the remaining seven are APSC members and staff.

Two of the accused - Sudeep Das and Rajib Paul were declared absconders by the court. The court had earlier held 74 accused in the case, but later three of them turned approvers and two others were discharged due to lack of evidence. The remaining 67 will now face trial in the case. Over 70 persons, including civil service officers, were arrested since 2016 when the scam which involved cash for jobs was unearthed by the police.

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Recently, in a similar incident, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court had extended a stay for four weeks on an earlier order that directed West Bengal minister Partha Chatterjee to appear before the CBI in connection with a petition alleging irregularities in the appointment of assistant teachers in state government-aided schools.

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